作为一名国际学生如何在美国处理钱的问题
How to Handle Money as an International Student
Here's what students looking to attend college in the U.S. should know about bank accounts, wire transfers and more.
以下是希望在美国上大学的学生应该知道的关于银行账户、电汇和其他方面的情况。
Knowing how to handle money in the U.S. can make for a smoother transition for new international students.
了解如何在美国处理金钱，可以使新报到的国际学生更顺利地过渡
Having attended an American high school in Greece, Eleftheria Topaloglou says she was given some guidance about money matters in the U.S. But once she actually arrived in America for college, she realized she could have used more financial schooling. Eleftheria Topaloglou说，她在希腊上了一所美国高中，在学校有学到了一些关于美国金钱相关问题的指导。但当她真正到达美国上大学时，她意识到她可以使用更多的金融教育。
“I had zero knowledge of how to open a bank account and I was very afraid that I am going to do something wrong,” says Topaloglou, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied behavioral sciences and business at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Topaloglou说："我对如何开立银行账户一无所知，我非常害怕自己会做错什么，"她正在马萨诸塞州的布兰代斯大学攻读应用行为科学和商业学士学位。
From opening a bank account to credit and debit cards, having some knowledge about how to handle money in the U.S. can make the transition to academic life smoother for new international students. 从开设银行账户到信用卡和借记卡，掌握一些关于如何在美国处理金钱的知识可以使新的国际学生更顺利地过渡到学术生活。
“Prospective international students must understand all of the standard issues that domestic students going off to college for the first time need to understand, and much more,” says Karen Zuffante Pabon, an international student adviser at Brandeis University. 布兰迪斯大学的国际学生顾问Karen Zuffante Pabon说："未来的国际学生必须了解国内学生第一次去上大学需要了解的所有标准及更多问题。“
Here are some of the basics international students should know: 以下是国际学生应该知道的一些基本情况。
✅ U.S.Currency 美国货币
U.S. paper currency is available in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. The currency is based on the decimal system, which means one dollar ($1 or $1.00) is equal to 100 cents. 美国纸币有1美元、5美元、10美元、20美元、50美元和100美元等面值的钞票。货币基于十进制系统，这意味着一美元（1美元或1.00美元）等于100美分。
Pratik Sinai Kunkolienker, an electrical engineering graduate student at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, who is from India, says he was not prepared and had not really used any kind of foreign currency before his arrival in the U.S. Pratik Sinai Kunkolienker是南达科他州矿业和技术学院的一名电气工程研究生，他来自印度，他说他没有准备好，在他到达美国之前没有真正使用过任何种类的外国货币。
“The lingo associated with it was also new,” says Kunkolienker. “It was a little puzzling that the dime was smaller than the penny even though it had a bigger value. That coupled with the nervousness of doing a transaction was a little daunting at first.” "与之相关的行话也是新的，"昆科林克说。"一角钱比一便士小，但它的价值更大，这让人有点费解。再加上做交易时的紧张感，一开始有点令人生畏。"
Experts recommend students become familiar with U.S. currency and arrive with some U.S. money, but avoid carrying a lot of cash. Currency exchange services are available in most international airports. Prospective international students should also be prepared to make a budget. 专家建议学生熟悉美国货币，并带一些美金来，但要避免携带大量现金。大多数国际机场都提供货币兑换服务。未来的国际学生还应该准备好预算。
“The economic differences between their home country and the U.S. may also be overwhelming,” says Zuffante Pabon. “Learning to make a budget and how to stay within that budget may be a new concept for many.” Zuffante Pabon说："他们的祖国和美国之间的经济差异也可能巨大的，学会做预算以及如何保持在预算范围内，对许多人来说可能是一个新概念。"
✅ Bank Accounts 银行账户
To avoid international transaction and currency exchange fees, experts say students should open a U.S. bank account after they arrive. During international student orientation, many schools invite bank representatives to campus to answer questions, provide information about offers, and help students fill out forms to begin the process of opening an account. 为了避免国际交易和货币兑换费用，专家建议学生应该在抵达美国后开设一个美国银行账户。在国际学生迎新会期间，许多学校邀请银行代表到校园回答问题，提供优惠信息，并帮助学生填写表格，开始开户过程。
“Setting up a bank account and knowing how to use it properly is important for their time here in the U.S.,” says Beth Riley, assistant director of the international center at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. 南达科他州矿业和技术学校国际中心助理主任Beth Riley说："建立一个银行账户并知道如何正确使用它对他们在美国的生活很重要。”
When selecting a bank, she says, students should be sure to ask about things like banking fees, minimum balances, overdraft charges and international activities. 她说，在选择银行时，学生应确保询问银行费用、最低余额、透支费用和国际活动等事项。
Students can open a checking account, which allows them to write checks and use a debit card, or put money away in a savings account. Most banks provide online banking, which can be useful for students with wire transfers from parents or sponsors, and some banks are entirely online. 学生可以开设一个支票账户，允许他们开具支票和使用借记卡，或将钱存入储蓄账户。大多数银行都提供网上银行服务，这对学生从父母或赞助人那里电汇的情况很有帮助，有些银行则完全在网上进行。
✅ Wire Transfer 电汇
Sarah Lam, assistant vice president of international affairs at California State University—Fresno says once students have decided on a university, they will need to find out how to transfer money to that institution for tuition and other payments. She says different countries may have different policies regarding the amount of money that can be wired at one time. 加州州立大学弗雷斯诺分校负责国际事务的助理副校长Sarah Lam说，一旦学生决定了一所大学，他们将需要了解如何将钱转到该机构用于支付学费和其他款项。她说，不同的国家可能有不同的政策，关于一次可以汇入的金额。
“Students should ask about payment plans available in that institution to schedule payment in accordance with the policies of the university and the banking in their home countries. Students also need to be aware of the additional costs, if any, to pay online,” Lam says. "学生应该询问该机构提供的付款计划，以便根据大学的政策和他们本国的银行业务安排付款。学生还需要了解在线支付的额外费用，如果有的话，"Lam说。
Topaloglou says in her experience the transfer fees can be very high. Topaloglou说根据她的经验，转账手续费用可能非常高。
“Every time my mom pays my tuition, she pays a lot in transaction fees since it is international transfer,” she says. 她说："每次我妈妈给我付学费时，由于是国际转账，她要支付很多交易手续费。“
✅ Debit and Credit Cards 借记卡和信用卡
Instead of carrying cash, Americans tend to use their debit and credit cards to pay for even small items. Contactless options like Apple Pay, which allows you to pay using your iPhone or Apple Watch, are also increasingly popular. 美国人倾向于使用他们的借记卡和信用卡来支付，而不是携带现金，甚至是小件物品。像Apple Pay这样的无接触式选项也越来越受欢迎，它允许你用你的iPhone或Apple Watch付款。
Most banks provide a debit card, which lets students spend money from their checking account without writing a check. You can also use your debit card to withdraw cash from an ATM, although ATMs not associated with your bank may charge a fee. 大多数银行都提供借记卡，让学生从他们的支票账户上花钱，而不需要写支票。你也可以用你的借记卡从自动取款机上提取现金，不过与你的银行无关的自动取款机可能会收取一定的费用。
Many credit card applications will ask for your Social Security number – something most international students do not have. But according to the Social Security Administration, "although many companies, such as banks and credit companies, may ask for your SSN, you generally aren't required to provide one if you don't have one." In some cases, a passport can be sufficient. 许多信用卡申请会要求你提供社会安全号码--大多数国际学生没有这个号码。但根据社会安全局的说法，"尽管许多公司，如银行和信贷公司，可能会要求你提供社会安全号，但如果你没有社会安全号，一般不要求你提供。" 在某些情况下，一本护照就可以了。
Kunkolienker recommends international students get a credit card sooner rather than later, citing its convenience. Kunkolienker以信用卡的便利性为由，建议国际学生尽早办理信用卡。
“Now I, too, use my credit card everywhere. Hardly carry any cash,” Kunkolienker says. "现在我也是，到处使用我的信用卡。几乎没有携带任何现金，"Kunkolienker说。
Credit cards can help students start building their credit history, too. But there is a downside. 信用卡也可以帮助学生开始建立他们的信用记录，但也有一个缺点。
"If you do not pay the minimum balance on time or at all, your credit history can take a hit as well as your wallet with a high interest rate for paying back the balance. This will affect your credit in the future," Riley says. "如果你没有按时或根本没有支付最低余额，你的信用记录会受到负面影响，同时你的账户也会因为偿还余额而获得高额利息。这将影响你今后的信用，"Riley说。
Zuffante Pabon says that while orientation is filled with important information on financial topics, it can be overwhelming for a new international student. She advises students do their research on money matters before coming to campus, so "once they arrive they will at least have a theoretical background on the situations they may face.” Zuffante Pabon说，虽然迎新会充满了关于金融主题的重要信息，但对于一个新的国际学生来说，它可能会让人不知所措。她建议学生在来校园之前做关于金钱问题的研究，所以 "一旦他们到达，他们至少会对他们可能面临的情况有一个理论背景"。
